I Won't Give Up
by BittyAB18
Summary: A Hollywood Heights one-shot featuring Jana Kramer's song, I Won't Give Up. On Eddie's birthday, Loren sings him a song that she wrote to cheer him up.


**I Won't Give Up**

_**A Hollywood Heights One-Shot**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything familiar, especially not Hollywood Heights and its characters or Jana Kramer's song, **_**I Won't Give Up**_**.**

**Author's Note: I absolutely love Jana Kramer's song **_**I Won't Give Up**_**; as I was listening to it, I couldn't help but think that it fits Loren and Eddie when they first start to fall for each other. So, I thought I would write a one-shot about it that takes place before Eddie's birthday kiss with Loren. I am going to tweak the scene a little to make it flow with my part better. This takes place right before Max knocks on Eddie's door.**

* * *

I hated the way that Cameron blew me off, especially in front of Mel. I felt bad, because it seems like he really likes me, and in a way, I think I really like him, too. I am just not sure yet if I like him as more than a friend or if all I could ever see between us is just friendship. When people started screaming over the fact that Eddie sent a car for me, everything happened so fast. I didn't even think about Cameron and whether or not he would be hurt over my and Melissa's excitement. It wasn't until later that I began to feel bad about how I treated Cam. But, I wouldn't change what happened, not for the world.

I asked the driver to stop by my house first so that I could drop off my schoolbag and grab the present I had gotten for Eddie. I had seen that he was tearing pages out of his last notebook like crazy, so I figured that he would need a new one. It was probably a stupid present, especially after he got a car from the record label. But, it was practical, and it was the thought that counts, right?

I don't know why I was trembling when I walked into Eddie's building, but I couldn't help it. I said my hellos to Jeffery, and I climbed into the elevator. The second the doors shut and it began moving, I couldn't contain the childish squeal that erupted from my lips. I am seriously acting like such a fan girl right now, and I hated it. I needed to contain myself. We were only going to work on songs together. There was nothing that I should be crazy excited about!

When he opened the door, I had been able to suppress my excitement enough to appear calm and collected. He invited me, and we got right to work. The songs that he played for me were so beautiful; I couldn't help falling a little more for him. They were different from the other songs he had written and sung in the past; they were slower, much more heartfelt. Maybe even a little haunting as he sang about his broken heart over Chloe.

Ever since we had begun hanging out, I couldn't help but feel like there were moments when Eddie and I could be more than friends. I kept trying to tell myself that the only reason why we were hanging out was because of the competition and the song, but we were really starting to get close. I just hope that this closeness wasn't all in my head. When he asked me what I thought of his new song, I told him the truth; I told him how much I loved them and how I thought they were amazing and that I couldn't help but feel as though my heart was breaking along with his as he sang them.

A small piece of me died when he asked me whether or not I think he should give Chloe another chance. I guess it was all in my head after all. All the moments when our hands brushed, or we shared a smile, or we talked about something personal about ourselves; they were all between friends—strictly friends. Hell, I would even be lucky to be considered as his friend; it is likely he only saw them as opening up to his mentee. He immediately apologized for asking me about my opinion about everything.

"I'm sorry; it is just that I don't know all the details about what happened." I didn't want to talk about this, but I didn't want to show him that I was crushed over his consideration of getting back together with Chloe.

"You'd be the first…and the only." His laugh sounded strained and not at all genuine, and his smile didn't reach his eyes. My heart went out with him. I suddenly felt the urge to share a song that I had written recently. He had inspired me so much lately that the words just poured right out of me; the song was about him, but I didn't really want him to know that, because he might think I am a freak—a lovesick fan girl, not the confidant that he had seen me as over the past few days. He looked down at the piano, obviously upset. I think it was time that I tried to cheer him up.

"It is your birthday, so I think you should let me sing something to you." I said softly, smiling at him.

"Oh, yeah? Are you going to give me a killer rendition of _Happy Birthday_?" I laughed, shaking my head.

"Nope." I grabbed his guitar and sat on the edge of his chair. "I wrote this song to tell a friend that I care about them and that I will always be there for them, and I think that you need a little cheering up, so I think it is the perfect song to sing to you on your birthday. So, yeah; here we go…" Everything I said was true; I did consider him a friend, and I did want to let him know that I cared about him and wanted to be there for him. I just left out the part that that this song was written for him.

I took a deep breath before closing my eyes and beginning to play the song.

"_Don't tell me love is something you won't try again  
That's just not true  
But, baby, right now, maybe, what you need is a friend  
Well I'm here for you_

_"I will be by your side_  
_If ever you fall deep in the dead of the night_  
_Whenever you call_  
_And, I won't change my mind_  
_No, I'll see you through_  
_And I won't give up_  
_No, I won't give up_  
_I won't give up on you_

_"You need someone who knows you from the inside out_  
_The way I do_  
_I've seen you walk the wire, never looking down_  
_I believe in you_

_"I will be by your side_  
_If ever you fall deep in the dead of the night_  
_Whenever you call_  
_And, I won't change my mind_  
_No, I'll see you through_  
_And, I won't give up_  
_No, I won't give up_  
_I won't give up on you_," I paused, playing a few chords on the guitar. I realized that I had my eyes closed the entire time, so I opened them only to lock eyes with Eddie. I kept eye contact with him as I began the final lines of the song.

_"I will be by your side_  
_If ever you fall deep in the dead of the night."_

I stopped singing and playing for a moment, giving Eddie a small, hesitant smile.

_"And I won't give up_  
_No, I won't give up_  
_I won't give up_  
_You can call it love,_  
_But, I won't give up on you_." I finished off the song with a few more chords on the guitar. I set the guitar aside, standing up quickly. I turned away from him and walked to where I had left my bottle of water.

"So, yeah, that is the song." I said quickly, taking a few sips of water.

"Loren," Eddie's voice was right behind me, and suddenly, he was laying a hand on my waist, turning me to face him. "That was…that was beautiful. Thank you." He was speaking quietly, and his hand was still on my waist. I realized just how close we were, and my heart skipped a beat. I bit my bottom lip again, trying to discreetly gulp down some air without being obvious about how nervous and excited I was with being so close to him. His eyes were searching my face, and I swear to God, I was so sure he was going to kiss me.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Eddie and I were brought back to reality. He stepped back and smiled at me. "More presents?" I made a joke, and Eddie headed toward the door.

"Probably," he said as he opened the door to his father. I closed my eyes before smiling in welcome.

That day, everything changed for me. Everything changed between us. I don't regret for a moment singing him that song, indicating that I was interested. My mom and I went to dinner with him and his father, and even though there was the flare up in the middle with Chloe, the night ended amazingly. I didn't expect him to say the things he said to me after she left when I tried to cheer him up. I didn't expect him to drive me home and to park at the spot that gives him inspiration. I didn't expect to talk to him about how small I felt in his world, like I didn't belong; he didn't let me feel that way for long. He essentially told me that I belong in his world, and I couldn't help but feel like my heart was about to burst out of my chest. I didn't expect for him to walk me to my door at the end of the night, and I certainly did not expect him to kiss me. I didn't expect anything that happened today to have happened, but I wouldn't change a single second of it, because I think that today I fell in love for the first time.


End file.
